This time last year, I promised myself that I would be back competing at a high level in swimming again. I kept that promise, and I plan to compete at the international level this December.

I was recently featured in a press release on PRWeb about my achievements in competitive swimming. I believe it’s important to take a breath and recognize achievements before moving on to the next goal, so I want to express my appreciation for being able to celebrate these milestones and illuminate one of our core values at Gordon Group: Anything is possible.

If you take the time and effort to gain a mental edge, you can accomplish anything.

You just need determination.

Training and competing have been part of my life since I was a young boy. I started off diving, and at 10, my coach thought I should switch to swimming. I was reluctant because I knew how intense swim practice would be, but the coach needed another body in the pool, so I agreed.

Just a few years later, I placed first in New York state competitions and went on to set a Division I record at Iona College that still stands today. I even traveled to Illinois to train with a coach who brings athletes to the Olympics.

Throughout the next 30 years, I kept training even though I wasn’t competing. I added yoga and triathlons into the mix. Yoga taught me mindfulness, and training for triathlons gave me tenacity. Both of these attributes made me mentally strong and gave me the prolonged determination and energy to come back to competitive swimming with vigor.

One thing I’ve realized is that once you get to a high level in swimming, your opponents are just as skilled and talented as you. In sports — and in business — you’re actually playing two games at once: one against your competitors and one against yourself.

The hardest battle is always the mental one.

If you can’t win the mental game, you don’t have a chance of winning against your competitors.

My most challenging days are the days when I just don’t want to go out and run 20 miles — when it’s raining or snowing or I’ve got a schedule packed with meetings. These are the days that separate the champions from the rest of the pack.

Take the example of Roald Amundsen, who competed against Robert Falcon Scott in the race to be the first man to reach the South Pole. Amundsen’s expedition was years in the making. He spent months living with indigenous populations, acquiring sled dogs and supplies, and planning the route. Scott spent relatively little time preparing but had motorized sleds and only progressed in fair weather. Unsurprisingly, it was Amundsen who reached the target on schedule by setting daily goals and making slow, steady progress.

If you’re able to go out and train every day consistently, then you have the mental edge you need to succeed. This is exactly what I found and what Gordon Group prides itself on.

Consistency doesn’t mean not pushing yourself, though. Once you reach a certain level, you have to expect that there will be no more “easy days.” In business and in swimming, if you’re having an easy day, you’re not competing hard enough. You have to put in everything you have if you want to win. If you can tell yourself every day to keep going and push harder to get to the next level, then you can win the mental game.

What are your secrets to staying consistent and maintaining determination as you work toward your goals?

Murphy’s Law suggests, “Anything that can go wrong will.” Buy a house, the furnace goes out. Buy a car, the starter goes out. You name it, there’s always something that can go wrong. And it probably will.

But that doesn’t mean that we should avoid failure by not taking chances. Instead, it means that we should prepare for the worst and hope for the best.

Anything that can go wrong probably will, but we’ll be ready for it.

Anything That Can Go Wrong Is Laughable

Murphy’s Law doesn’t know any strangers. Every scenario has the potential for a downhill spiral.

In my business, we often find issues with inventory when planning for graduation season. We may decide one year to manufacture less of a certain color gown that’s been historically unpopular. Of course, that turns out to be the year everyone orders that color, leading to a rush of manufacturing. This type of hiccup is what we call a “black swan.”

Knowing we’re bound to come across the occasional black swan, we find it helpful to laugh at ourselves. Humor and planning are the keys to turning a catastrophe into a triumph.

Anything That Can Go Wrong Can Be Avoided

Although being able to laugh at yourself is important, you also need to know how to avoid falling victim to Murphy’s Law in the first place. If you implement rules to avoid black swans, they can:

Use humor to illustrate potential hiccups in your business.

Remind your employees to be well-prepared for black swans.

Keep potential issues top-of-mind.

Deflect negativity when problems arise.

Accidents happen, and mistakes are made, but your success depends on your ability to stay positive and effectively react to issues as they arise.

Preparing for Anything That Can Go Wrong

Now that we’ve established that rules should be embraced, here are a few “Matthew’s Laws” to help you survive Murphy’s Law:

1. If you’re going to fail, do it early. That way, you learn quickly what not to do in the future. Not to mention, the sooner you fail, the cheaper it is to fix.

2. Always have a backup plan. If you sell a product and order less than you need, you have to be prepared for demand. Consumers tend to want more of a product as soon as you begin producing less of it.

3. Start before you’re ready. Don’t wait for all the stars to align. If you start today, you’ll have a better chance of finishing on time.

4. Move up your due date. Setting a timeframe in this way allows for better efficiency and less procrastination. Murphy’s Law loves procrastinators.

5. Try something new as often as you can. You don’t need to be an expert to complete a project. How do you think people become experts, anyway?

Anything That Can Go Wrong Can Go Right

Thanks to our rules, the culture at Gordon Group has grown substantially. We’ve used Matthew’s Laws to combat Murphy’s Law by:

Creating opportunities. We empower our employees to learn new skills and try new roles. For example, our e-commerce director started as a warehouse worker. We want our employees to explore new areas and experience failure early so they learn their limitations and abilities.

Being flexible. One thing that’s deeply ingrained in our culture is the ability to change a plan at any time. Even if you think you have the perfect production schedule, be ready to change it based on unexpected client demand.

Becoming multipliers. We live by the 80-percent rule. By completing at least 80 percent of each project, we’re able to tackle a larger number of projects. Once we’re at 80 percent completion for all projects, we can take the remaining 20 percent and work on completing 80 percent of that. This process amplifies our production and gives everyone a workable goal.

Look for opportunities to build a culture of black swan-crushing attitudes. Create rules that are fun and memorable. Your rules should protect your business, product, and employees with one goal in mind: to be the best, even at your worst.

Have you encountered any black swans in your business? What rules have you put in place to help your team avoid or successfully overcome them?

In just six short years, today’s image of a thriving, functional workplace will make the familiar command-and-control corporate environment look ancient. But if employers don’t prepare to engage Millennials — who are expected to make up 46 percent of the workforce by 2020 — they’ll have little success attracting and retaining top talent.

In this article, Matthew Gordon explains what Millennials expect from a workplace and offers tips for engaging this generation to ensure they stick around.

Now more than ever, entrepreneurs and investors are looking to New York City
and the surrounding areas as a center for startups.

There are many great resources and opportunities for new businesses, and the thriving cultural epicenter of New York City attracts some of the best tech talent
the world has to offer.

When starting a business in the City That Never Sleeps, you’ve got access to New York City’s unbelievable pool of resources, which includes top talent,
Wall Street, Silicon Alley, and world-class retailers and wholesalers.

If you choose to make New York your start-up’s home, you’re in good company.
Read the entire article of tips and tricks HERE